Blendtec Home TB-621-BHM The Professional's Choice 1500-Watt Total Blender, Black Review

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(More customer reviews)I am a smoothie person who drinks at least one smoothie a day. I got tired of spending ten minutes a day making smoothie with one of the cheap blenders, so I decided to buy a more high powered blender.

The Breville 550 was my first choice for its reasonable price/power and great looks. Unfortunately, my first smoothie was a disaster. I filled the smoothie 2/3 with fruits and ice, and I stood there pushing the smoothie button three consecutive times to no avail. Then I smelled something burning and figured it was the motor. After spending 10 minutes getting the thing to make smoothie, the result was no better than my old cheap Cuisinart blender. Apparently, 610 watts is just not enough if you want to make thick, smooth smoothie.

I promptly returned the Breville. I then went on a mission to research for a real blender. Apparently, when it comes down to power and industrial strength blenders, it comes down to either a Vita-Mix or a Blendtec. A Costco near me had a demo for Blendtec so I decided to buy one there to try out.

Wow! Now this is a blender! This thing sucked the fruits and ice down into its vortex amazingly well. With the "Whole Fruits" button, I had great smoothie in 50 seconds or less. I usually just hit the button and go the bathroom. By the time I get back, I got instant smoothie! I've tried the the ice crush button and this mode literally makes snow; not just crushed ice, but snow!

There is a con though. Without a tamper, sometimes the fruits do get stuck and doesn't go down. When that happens, I take the jar out and shakes it a couple times and blend again. It works every time. It's an extra step, but it sure beats standing there and holding a tamper to push the fruits down for entire blending time. Many reviewers here claim that they wished they had a tamper, but I think it may be due to their preference and how they've always done it with their Vita-mix. It isn't wrong, but there are more than one way to skin a cat, and for me, shaking it is much easier than using a tamper.

It's also very easy to clean. Instead of disassembling the jar like the Breville and other blenders in its class, I just put a dash of detergent, fill it 1/3 with water, and pulse it for 5 secs. I then wash it out further with water, no dishwasher needed.

Since I bought this at Costco, I got a full 7 year warranty. It's a lot of money, but since there are no alternatives at a cheaper price, it does make my decision easier. Considering the Breville blender probably would've smoked and blown within 6 months of the abuse I'd subject it to, a $400 blender that lasts a minimum of 7 years is not a bad deal. So far after a week of use, I've blended a total of 38 times (the LCD displays the # of uses on its front.). I think I may just keep it.

Pros: It blends virtually anything!
Lots of power. Doesn't smoke when it gets stuck.
Easy to clean.
It doesn't require you to stand there with a tamper.
Great warranty.
Makes amazing smoothies and margaritas and mixed drinks.

Cons: Occasionally requires a good shake to loosen things up.
Expensive.
Loud. (although with a 3HP motor, it's actually quiet compared
to my lawnmower. LOL)

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Product Description:
This New Blendtec "Home" Blender simply out performs the competition and is designed to last. Unlike the competition, this blender will fit under most standard cupboards, and this blender will grind grain for bread making without the expense of an extra container or attachment. The Blender is the innovative leader in the blender market. The Home Blender is designed to do it all. From smoothies, fresh juice, ice cream, milkshakes, cappuccinos, margaritas, to soups, sauces, breads, dressings, salsas and more! The unique square jar is the same used in the best coffee shops, juice bars, and restaurants.This Blender is preprogrammed to do specific jobs like Food Processing, Smoothies, Drinks, and many many more, simply select the job and the blender will adjust to blend in the most efficient way possible. No old fashioned knobs, switches, or dials to wear out. No other blender offers the power, ease of operation, and state of the art engineering. our powerful 3-peak horsepower motor makes any blending chore a breeze. The new model Home Blender features 25 pre-programmed cycles viewable on the blue LCD screen.

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Mr. Coffee VB12 12-Cup Coffee Maker, White Review

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(More customer reviews)Then this is the coffee maker for you.It's easy enough to use, a bottom-of-the-line model with no bells and whistles, but with 4 annoying flaws.
The worst is that the coffee never comes out hot -- it's at an easy-to- drink heat that's not hot enough for me.Second, the heating plate doesn't keep the coffee hot enough. Third, there's no automatic shutoff, a nuisance.Fourth, the carafe drips a lot when it's poured at any but the slowest rate.

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Product Description:
Brewing Pause n Serve lets you pour a cup of coffee while the coffeemaker is still brewing Removable Filter Basket lifts out for fast and easy filling and cleaning Water Level Indicator shows the amount of water in the reservoir for accurate filling Stain Resistant Warming Plate is easy to clean and prevents stains Cord Storage safely stores excess cord to keep your countertop neat Lighted On/Off Switch lets you know when your coffeemaker is On and Off

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Breville BCG450XL Ikon Conical Burr Grinder +Cleaner Bundle Review

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(More customer reviews)We purchased the Breville BCG450XL Ikon Conical Burr Grinder from Amazon on June 18, 2008 and were very pleased with its performance.I was about to write a positive product review.However, yesterday, March 29, 2009, the on/off switch (the one on the side and which is redundant to the one on the front) failed (fell apart in pieces actually) and the product is now useless.

On examination, the on of switch was so poorly designed with such non-durable materials that I am suprised it didn't fail much sooner.

Needless to say, we didn't get our money's worth out of this product. Don't waste your money!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Breville BCG450XL Ikon Conical Burr Grinder +Cleaner Bundle

Product Description:
The slow motion of the grind preserves more natural bean flavor while offering a wide variety of coffee grinds - The precision timer allows you to choose from ten to thiry seconds of grind time - Easy-to-read setting on the side of the hopper ensures the perfect grind - Hopper holds a half pound of coffee beans. Beautifully designed, this conical burr grinder features adjustable settings for various grind options. Choose from ultra-fine for Turkish coffee or large and coarse for percolators. The settings offer consistently shaped grinds and even extraction, which is the key to producing flavorful coffee. In addition, the unit's metal conical burrs preserve more natural bean flavor than blade drivers due to the slower grind nature. The grinder comes equipped with a removable bean hopper that holds 1/2 pound of coffee beans, and its stainless-steel/polymer base offers start and stop control, as well as an on/off switch. Other highlights include a variable timer with 10 to 30 seconds of grind time, anti-static technology, and a removable burr for convenient cleaning. The conical burr grinder measures 5-1/4 by 7 by 11-1/4 inches. -PLUS- Accessory Kit <> The Urnex Urnex Coffee Grinder Cleaner.

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Capresso 580 14 oz. Disk Burr Grinder in Black with Coffee Grinder Cleaner Review

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(More customer reviews)If you like coffee enough to buy a burr grinder, don't get this one.I'm no connoisseur by far, but I know a good cup when I try one.I've tried several different brands and roasts, and in my opinion the Capresso 580 grinder is no better than a whiz-bang spice chopper.In fact, those small blade choppers offer much better control over the final result.

Note: This is not a "conical" burr grinder; the burr discs are flat.However, this would not be a problem if the rest of the grinder were designed well.

Pros:
I'm still thinking...It does technically grind coffee...

Cons:
It gets clogged very easily.The description here on Amazon is wrong.The discharge chute is horizontal, narrow and off to one side of the burrs only, rather than vertical and surrounding them, so the grounds cannot fall freely into the bin.This major flaw alone makes this grinder almost useless.

It simply cannot be cleaned.Because the chute is so tiny and hard to reach, it is quite literally impossible to get all the grounds out.This is no exaggeration.Even with the machine flipped upside down and using a flashlight, one cannot even see all the way into the chute because it makes a 90-degree turn between the burrs and the bin.Out of curiosity (and a desire to "fix" the thing), I took it completely apart (removed every screw) and found large clumps of grounds stuck where they could never be gotten otherwise.I've even custom-bent a small bottle brush to reach inside, but it still can't get it all.

Not fine enough, and not coarse enough.The difference between the finest setting and the coarsest is not nearly wide enough in either direction.

Inconsistent coarseness.The grounds that do come out are very uneven with large chunks, fine powder and everything in between.

Inconsistent quantity.The "timer that isn't" seems to work as intended, but the amount of grounds that end up in the bin is random.Combine that with the grinding problems and each pot of coffee comes out different than the last.

It doesn't feed properly.This grinder spins so fast (bad for the coffee), the beans can't fall between the burrs quickly enough to keep the machine from over-revving like a clogged up vacuum cleaner.One must tap or shake it continuously while grinding to keep the beans feeding at a steady rate.Even doing that, I think this has a lot to do with the consistency problems.

Too much static.Despite the description, this grinder creates a huge amount of static, probably because the only metal in the whole unit (metal discharges static) is the burrs and the motor windings.Even if you don't get zapped when grabbing the bin, the coffee grounds stick to everything and make a mess.

Overall, the Capresso 580 is very poor performer.The advertised description is full of lies, and from a functional point of view, the internal design is downright bizarre.It misses the mark on all major reasons to own a burr grinder.At fifty dollars, it is cheaper than most, but in the end it's still not worth it.

I'm currently researching my next burr grinder.I'll let you know how it goes.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Capresso 580 14 oz. Disk Burr Grinder in Black with Coffee Grinder Cleaner

Product Description:
The Black Disk Burr Grinder with handsome Black ASB housing is the latest creation in Capresso's line of burr grinders. The grinder features an innovative vertical design which ensures that no ground coffee remains inside the grinder after use and minimizes static. It features an insulated grinder lid that makes it the lowest noise grinder in its class.

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Nespresso D90 Essenza Single-Serve Manual Espresso Machine Review

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(More customer reviews)This review is based on my experience with the Nespresso Essenza C90, but the Nespresso Essenza D90 is quite similar, and I believe that the espresso making mechanism is exactly the same.

We all have our little passions. Over the years, I have devoted too much time, money, and study to perfecting the art of making the perfect coffee and espresso. I searched the world (and the internet) for the best beans, grinders, equipment, and even tried roasting my own beans and became able to produce better potions that one can ever find in the coffee boutiques. Still, as it turns out, my efforts were in vain. The Nespresso Essenza (and probably the other Nespresso machines similar in design) produces the perfect cup and the ease of doing so, sadly, puts my efforts to shame.

The secret seems to be in the strong pumping mechanism (19 bars of pressure, same as their more expensive machines) and their superb coffee capsules. After being such a stickler for the freshest roasted estate grown beans, I balked at the use of capsules and considered it the coffee for dummies approach. I also thought that they might be kind of similar in quality to the coffee "pods" used in the new single serve coffee machines, which range from bad (for the manufacturer and supermarket brands) to only fairly good (for the best of the gourmet, limited-edition pods at over $1 each).

Against all odds, the Nespresso pods are pure magic. I ordered new pods right away, but even the sampler pods that came with the machine were incredible, despite being past their "best before" expiration date. I'm equally mystified as to how they can have about twelve varieties and almost all be exquisite, despite noticeable differences not only in strength but in flavor. The "lungo"capsules are also fantastic (these produce 4 ounces of coffee-espresso instead of the classic 1 to 2 ounce espresso). Being partial to espresso and very dark coffee, I wasn't so impressed with the two or three pods weakest in strength, but those who like traditional American coffee might prefer them.

The Nespresso capsules completely dispelled my concern that they would be limiting compared to the use of coffee beans. It turns out that the opposite is true. Sure, there may be hundreds of different beans available, with infinite possibilities of blends and roasts, but they rarely reach the superior flavor these capsules achieve. Moreover, ordering coffee beans limits you to only one or two roasts for awhile, unless you buy a variety of green coffee beans (which last much longer than roasted beans) and roast them yourself in small quantities. With the capsules, a nice variety of espresso variations are available instantly.

Having been in the habit of ordering expensive coffee beans, I find the cost of the Nespresso capsules at $.50 each and the two-day shipping charge of only $5.95 (for any quantity) very reasonable. When buying roasted coffee beans, the shipping cost for one or two day air was much higher, and I had to reorder them every few weeks to keep fresh ones on hand. Since the Nespresso capsules stay fresh much longer, I can order a several month supply at one time.

The only criticism of the machine is that the espresso might not be quite hot enough for some aficionados. However, it is just hot enough for me, and the temperature can be raised slightly by heating the cup first.

It is amazing that I can now enjoy the best espresso almost instantly. This is truly the perfect way to enjoy espresso, even if I can no longer take credit for concocting it.

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Product Description:
Developed with a unique extraction system specially designed for coffee-filled capsules, this 1200-watt single-serve manual espresso machine deploys technology essential for preparing perfect espresso. A simple system perforates the hermetically sealed capsule and soaks all the ground coffee to optimally filter the coffee, while the unit's high-pressure 19-bar pump extracts all the aromas and gives body to the espresso ensuring a smooth crema--the delicious creamy layer on top. In addition, the machine's Thermoblock heating system heats water to 187 degrees and 196 degrees during extraction and empties the remaining water after each use so that the water is fresh for each preparation. Used capsules eject semi-automatically into the used-capsule collection container upon lifting the handle on the top of the unit.
Other highlights include manual control of the amount of coffee in the cup, a backlit control button, electronic temperature regulation, and a removable 34-ounce water container. The espresso machine only uses capsules, not any other ground espresso, but a range of nine premium coffee blends is available, including decaffeinated. The capsules can be purchased from Nespresso, either by phone or at their Web site, and an assortment of 12 capsules comes included. Compactly designed in ABS housing, the strikingly modern espresso machine measures 10 by 6-1/2 by 11-1/2 inches and carries a one-year limited warranty.

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12 Piece Stainless Steel Cookware Set with Glass Lids Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought the cookware for my daughter in law, for Christmas.They have three little girls.She was really happy about the cookware, because their are no long handles on the pots.She loved that part about them. Not to mention the fact that whatever she cooks, they do not stick. I'm am so pleased with the cookware.Thanks

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Product Description:
This 12 Piece cookware set has a mirror finish, capsule base, vented glass lids, riveted stainless steel handles, rolled edges and is dishwasher safe.

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Capresso 4440 10-Cup Stainless Carafe for Capresso MT-500 Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a very nice Carafe, but some words of caution:Don't ever soak it in anything other than soapy water.Our old one became very coffee stained inside so I added a little bleach to the water and it cleaned it beautifully.Unfortunatelyit ruined the seal and it never kept coffee warm again.That is why we bought a new one.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Capresso 4440 10-Cup Stainless Carafe for Capresso MT-500

Product Description:
Attractive stainless and black vacuum carafe is designed for Brew-Through-The-Lid operation with Capresso MT-500 Digital Coffee Maker

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